Treater having centrifugal dry oil circulation



Dec. 29, 1931. H. c. EDDY THEATER HAVING GENTRIFUGAL DRY OIL CIRCULATIONOriginal Filed Dec. 19, 1927 um emulsions will be described.

I 5 chain Patented 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs HAROLD O. EDI,OI LOB ANGELES, OALIIORNIL ASSIGNOB 'I'O PETBOIJEUI W- ING COMPANY 01'CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA OF LOS-ANGELES, OALIIOBNIA, A CORPORATION OITREATED. HAVING- CENTRIFUGAL DBiY OIL CIRCULATION Application fledDecember 19, 1827, Serial No. 241,099. Renewed November 10, 1980.

This invention relates to the electrical treatment of fluids, and in thepresent embodiment consists of an electrical treater and method designedfor treating emulsions. It will be ap arent from the followingdescriptlon o the invention that my invention may be used for treatingvarious fluids or mixtures which will be acted upon by an electricfield; therefore, I do not intend to llmit myself by the embodiment ofthe invention presented herein. v

In order that the advantages of the invention may be understood, a briefdescription of the present apparatus for treatin petrolehe ordinary equiment consists of a tank in which an electro e is suspended and betweenwhich tank and electrode an electric field'is established. The fluid tobe treated, which is in go this case emulsion, is passed through theelectric field. The water particles are acted upon so that they forminto masses of suflicient size to gravitate from the oil. There is atendency for the coalesced, water particles to between the tank and theelectrode, us causing short-circuitin'g which 1mpa1rsthe operation ofthe treater. It has been found that-this chaining-u action may beprevented by establishing a electric bar- 30 rier in the electric fieldso that it is impos- Sible for the water particles to completely chainthe gap between the tank and the electrode. In treaters with which theinventor is familiar" ,which utilize a dielectric barrier, the efliciencreduced due to t e dielectric barrier flowin from dproper position inthe electric field an a 4 crow ing out the emulsion or fluid to betreated.

It. is an object of this invention to rovide an electrical treater andmeth -in p which the dielectric barrier employed will .remain in properposition in the e ectric field.

I overcome the disadvantages of the barrier crowding out the fluid to betreated by circumferentially circulating the dielectric barrier alongthe surface of one of the electrodes and preferably along the innersurface of the tank.

50 Other objects andadvantagesd theinvexiof the electrical treater is.

ferring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 11 is a tank which servesas an outer electrode. In the top of the tank 11 is an insulator 12through which a rod 13 extends to the inside of the tank 11. The rod 13supportsaplurality of lates 14 which serve as an inner electrode or theinvention. Between the plates 14 and the cylindrical wall '16 of thetank 11 is a treating space 17. An

electrical field is established in the treating space 17 by means of atransformer 19, the secondary 20 ofwhich is-connected to the rod 13 by aconductor 21 and to the tank 11 by a'conductor 22. Emulsion or otherfluid to be treated is introduced to the interior of the tank-ll bymeans of an inletpipe 24. This particular method of introducing theemulsion, b impinging a stream thereof on the electro e14, is not per sea part of the present invention, but is broadly claimed in certainco-pending applications.

Thedielectric barrier supply means of the invention isprovided in theform of nozzles 26 which are circumferentially'spaced around thecylindrical wall-16 of the tank 11. These nozzles 26 are communicated tothe interior of the tank 11 and to the outer annular part of thetreating space 17 by means of openings 27 formed in the tank 11. Thenozzles 26 coact with the openings 27 so that the dielectric barrier,which is in this use of the invention a fluid, is directed tangentiallyinto the treat ing space 17 substantially as indicated by arrows 28. Themotion thus given to thedielectrio barrier causes it to flowcircumferentially in the treating space 17 adjacent to the inner surfaceof the cylindrical wall 16 of thetank 11.

As shown in Fig. 2, at intervals around the circumference of the tank 11a plurality of nozzles 26 may be. arranged in yertical ali ment. Thenozzles 26 aresupplied wit a V dielectric barrier by means of pipes 30which 100 are connected to a manifold dpipe 31. The

- tank 32. Water is with rawn from the settling tank 32 by a pipe 37,and dry oil is withdrawn by a pipe 38. v

The operatlon of the invention is substantially as follows:

In starting up the apparatus, it is preferable-to have the tank 11filled with a dielecan electric field is set up between the plates tricbarrier. In the present invention the dielectric barrier may mostconveniently be a treated oil which does not have sufiicient con-vducting li uid therein to permit short-circuiting. e transformer 19 isenergized and 14 and the tank 11. -The fluid to be treated is introducedthrough the pipe 24 and flows downward through the treating space 17.

When fluid to be treated is supplied to the tank 11 the pump 34 is setinto operation so that the dielectric barrier is caused to circulate inthe treating space 17. As previously explained, the nozzles 26 directthe dielectric barrier so that it is circumferentially cir culated inthe treating space 17 adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindricalwall16 of the tank 11. The fluid to be treated passes downward throughthe inner part of the treating space 17, being sub'ected therein to theaction of an electric fiel It is impossible for any of the waterparticles to cause a short-circuiting of the apparatus due to the factthat the dielectric barrier adjacent to the tank 11 prevents the waterparticles from completely apping the treating s ace. The treated emus1on passes through t e pipe 35 (321 the settliltig tank 32vi'lhedrgythel water and 0 separate y gravity, t e oi passing to theupper art of the tank 32. This dry oil 1s delivers to-a storage tank bybut a small portion is taken through the pipe 33 by the pump 34 andcaused to flow through the nozzles 26 so that a part of the dry oil 7rier in the treating serves as a dielectric barrier.

The important part of the invention is cir-, cumferentlally circulatingthe dielectric barspace '17. It is found that b th1s manner ocirculating, the passage of e fluid to be treated through the treatingspace will not be interfered with and the capacity of the apparatus willnot be reduced to an'undersirable eflicienc As pointed out in the partof this specificatlon, I have no intention of limiting my invention tothe particular embodiment or use shown herein. The invention in itsbroad conception consists'of a treater re rdless of the of fluid whichit treats. treater consists of at least two electrodes between which anfield is established and means for circumferentially circulating a dithepipe mary electrode; a secondary electrode; means for "establishing anelectrical field between said electrodes; means for passing a fluid tobe treated into said electrical field; and means for circumferentiallycirculating a dielectric barrier in said electrical field adjacent toone of said electrodes.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said primary electrodesurrounds said secondar electrode, and said dielectric barrier iscirculated adjacent to said primary electrode. v

3. An electrical treater comprisin a tank; said tank acting as 'an'outer electro e; an inner electrode in saidtank; means for establishingan electrical field between said electrodes; means for introducin afluid to be treated into said electrical fiel and a nozzle forcircumferentially circulating a dielectric barrier in said tank inanannular area adjacent to the wall of said tank.

4. An electrical treater comprisin a tank; said tank acting as an outerelectr e; an inner electrode in said tankmeans for establishing anelectrical field between said electrodes; means for introducin treatedinto said electrical fie d; and a lurality of nozzles placed indifferent positions around the circumference of said tank forcircumferentially circulatin a dielectric barrier in said tank in anannu ar area adjacent to the wall of said tank.

5. In an electric treater, the combination of: a central electrode; asurroundingelec-w trode, there being a treating space between saidelectrodes; and means for 1ntroducing a dielectric barrier tangentiallyinto said treating space. during treatment of a fluid therein.

a fluid to be no i 6. In an electric treater, the combination ofconcentric inner and outer electrodes defining an annular treating s acetherebetween; nozzle means directe tangentially intosaid treating space,said nozzles directing fluid into the outer part of said annular treatinspace immediately inside said outer I electro e; means for supplyingadielectricmedium to said nozzle means; and means for supplying anemulsion into said treating space. a

7. A combination as defined in-claim 6 in which said nozzle meanscomprises a plurality of nozzles associated with said outer electrodeand spaced therearound and at difierent elevations whereby a uniformcirculation of said dielectric medium takes place throughout the lengthof said 8. A method-of treating a fluid by the use of an annularelectric field formed between inner and outer electrodes, which methodincludes the steps of circumferentially circu-' lating a dielectricmedium in the most extended portion of said electric field andimmediately inside said outer electrode, and introducing the fluid to betreated into that portion of said=electricfield between said centralelectrode and said circumferentially circulating dielectric medium.

9. Amethod of treating a fluid which includes the steps of, setting upan electric field between a pair of electrodes, subjecting said fluid tothe action of saidelectric field, and introducing a stream of dielectricmedium tangentially into said field adjacent one of said electrodes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 12th day of December, .1927.

a HAROLD C, EDDY.

